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Lace Hill: A Living Green Mountain Building for Armenia

Instead of designing a large glass-faceted building for a new mixed-use development in Yerevan, Armenia, Forrest Fulton Architects came up with a giant living man-made mountain! The entire facade of the hill-shaped building is covered in native plants, which act to absorb heat, filter air and water, and provide habitat to animals and insects, while the entire surface is irrigated with recycled graywater. Inspired by traditional Armenian lace needlework, Lace Hill, is punctuated with recessed windows, has interior voids that act as cooling towers, and includes many other sustainable building strategies.

Birmingham, Alabama-based Forrest Fulton Architects wanted to avoid designing yet another towering glass structure for the mixed-use development. Instead they chose to create a structure whose form more closely resembled the surrounding hills of Yeravan, located between the Black and Caspian Seas. The hill development proposal is 85,000 sq meters (900,000 sq ft) and incorporates retail and restaurants on the bottom floor, office space on the north side, and a hotel and apartments on the south side, which has great solar access and the best views. Parking and car access is completely underground, so no automobile traffic mars the approach of the sloping hillside, which eventually connects to a open space and park to the west of the structure.

The interior of the sustainably-built hill contains restaurants, office space, retail, apartments and underground parking, and the entire project looks more like a piece of the landscape than a building. Windows into the building are recessed to remain shaded from the sun. Geothermal heat pumps in coordination with radiant floors provide heating and cooling for the rooms, while large interior voids provide shaded and naturally ventilated spaces. These voids are large and cathedral-like with vaults and arches. Below, ponds and landscaped areas help cool the interior open spaces.

The architects designed Lace Hill as an alternative to traditional development. As they say about the development: “Instead of shimmering glass, a growing productive surface. Instead of a sealed building, open sun-drenched terraces. Instead of a building that imports a fleeting image, a building that invests in performance, connectivity, and function.”

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Lace Hill: A Living Green Mountain Building for Armenia

Instead of designing a large glass-faceted building for a new mixed-use development in Yerevan, Armenia, Forrest Fulton Architects came up with a giant living man-made mountain! The entire facade of the hill-shaped building is covered in native plants, which act to absorb heat, filter air and water, and provide habitat to animals and insects, while the entire surface is irrigated with recycled graywater. Inspired by traditional Armenian lace needlework, Lace Hill, is punctuated with recessed windows,...

Lace Hill

1 of 14

Instead of designing a large glass-faceted building for a new mixed-use development in Yerevan, Armenia, Forrest Fulton Architects came up with a giant living man-made mountain! The entire facade of the hill-shaped building is covered in native plants, which act to absorb heat, filter air and water, and provide habitat to animals and insects, while the entire surface is irrigated with recycled graywater. Inspired by traditional Armenian lace needlework, Lace Hill, is punctuated with recessed windows, has interior voids that act as cooling towers, and includes many other sustainable building strategies.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

Rather than building a large glass-faceted structure, Forrest Fulton Architects propose a structure that easily looks like the surrounding landscape and is covered with native grasses.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

3 of 14

Rather than building a large glass-faceted structure, Forrest Fulton Architects propose a structure that easily looks like the surrounding landscape and is covered with native grasses.

The new city hill would have commanding views of the Yerevan and Mt. Ararat, the eternal icon of Armenia.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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The new city hill would have commanding views of the Yerevan and Mt. Ararat, the eternal icon of Armenia.

The living facade of the structure is planted in native grasses to help absorb solar heat gain, filter water and air borne toxins, and support life for insects and animals. Recycled grey water is used to irrigate the roof/walls.

Lace Hill

5 of 14

The living facade of the structure is planted in native grasses to help absorb solar heat gain, filter water and air borne toxins, and support life for insects and animals. Recycled grey water is used to irrigate the roof/walls.

Inside, large voids reach up to the ceiling letting in natural light from above and allowing air to move through the structure and provide natural ventilation. Landscaping, trees and ponds help cool the air as it moves through the shady interior.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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Inside, large voids reach up to the ceiling letting in natural light from above and allowing air to move through the structure and provide natural ventilation. Landscaping, trees and ponds help cool the air as it moves through the shady interior.

Restaurants and retail line the open-air promenade on the lower floor, which has amazing views of the city and Mt. Ararat.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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Restaurants and retail line the open-air promenade on the lower floor, which has amazing views of the city and Mt. Ararat.

Access to the structure via automobile is gained via an underground parking garage with a tunnel that leads in from city streets on the west side. No streets lead up to the promenade, preserving the natural look of the hill structure.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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Access to the structure via automobile is gained via an underground parking garage with a tunnel that leads in from city streets on the west side. No streets lead up to the promenade, preserving the natural look of the hill structure.

Pedestrians and cyclists access the structure via a diverse farm-park at the south, east, and west edges of the site. There could potentially be a large urban park to the west linking Lace Hill with other popular tourist sites.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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Pedestrians and cyclists access the structure via a diverse farm-park at the south, east, and west edges of the site. There could potentially be a large urban park to the west linking Lace Hill with other popular tourist sites.

Large holes in the roof of the hill act as skylights to let light into the landscaped courtyards. Warm air rises up out of the voids and cool air comes in from below.

Lace Hill

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Large holes in the roof of the hill act as skylights to let light into the landscaped courtyards. Warm air rises up out of the voids and cool air comes in from below.

The site for Lace Hill is located right in the heart of Yerevan and is an extension of the natural landscape.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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The site for Lace Hill is located right in the heart of Yerevan and is an extension of the natural landscape.

Interior program locations are determined by their access to solar gain and views. The hotel and apartments are located on the south side where they get the best sun and best views. Retail and restaurants are located on the bottom open floors and office is located on the North side with indirect light, which is better for working.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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Interior program locations are determined by their access to solar gain and views. The hotel and apartments are located on the south side where they get the best sun and best views. Retail and restaurants are located on the bottom open floors and office is located on the North side with indirect light, which is better for working.

Inspired by Armenian lace needlework, the holes in the living hill act as windows to the interior. The windows are recessed behind a terrace to provide shading during the summer, but light still enters during the winter.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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Inspired by Armenian lace needlework, the holes in the living hill act as windows to the interior. The windows are recessed behind a terrace to provide shading during the summer, but light still enters during the winter.

The profile of the hill is a natural and organic shape, much like the surrounding hillsides. The goal of the architects was to provide an alternative to typical mixed-use developments.

Lace Hill over Yerevan

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The profile of the hill is a natural and organic shape, much like the surrounding hillsides. The goal of the architects was to provide an alternative to typical mixed-use developments.